Elevator-control mechanism for envelope-making machines



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' v A. E. AUGUSTINE ELEVATOR CONTROL MECHANISM FOR ENVELOPE MAKINGMACHINES- 1 m. W." k w miliilll HE cw w m\ HWH YQ N I e h lh m F 3 n 321" 9 l 9 l 5 g u A d e l 1 F May 2%, 11923. I Jlfififififig I A. E.AUGUSTINE ELEVATOR CONTROL MECHANISM FORENVELOPE MAKING MACHINESFiled-Aug. 5, 1919 3 Sheets-Sheet May 29, 1923. M Y I A. E. AUGUSTINEELEVATOR CONTROL MECHANISM FOR ENVELOPE MAKING MACHINES Filed Aug. 5,1919 3 Sheets-$het 5 35% Elf/tonne Fatented May 29, 1923.

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ADDISON E. AUGUSTINE, OF I-IACKENSACK, NEW' JERSEY, ASSIGNOR 'ZEOCHESTER MACHINE 00., INQ, OF NEW YORK, N. :1, A CORPURlJlUEQlll OF NEWYORK.

ELEVATOR-CONTROL MECHANISM FOR ENVELGPE-IVIAKING- MACHINES.

Application filed August 5, 1919. Serial No. 315,395.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that l, ADDISON E. AUGUSTINE, residing at Hackensack, in thecounty of Bergen and State of New Jersey, have invented certain new anduseful Improve ments in Elevator-Control Mechanism for Envelope-MakingMachines, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to an elevator control mechanism forenvelope-making machines.

An object ofv the invention is to provide an elevator control mechanismwhich is more simple and at the same time more prac tical and moreuniformly efficient than heretofore.

Other objects and aims of the invention, more or less specific thanthose referred to above, will be in part obvious and in part pointed outin the course of the following description of the elements,combinations, arrangements of parts and applications of principles,constituting theinvention, and the scope of protection contemplated willbe indicated in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawings which are to be taken as a part of thisspecification, and in which I have shown merely a preferred form ofembodiment of the inven tion; r 1

Figure 1 is a side elevational view of a portion of an envelope-making'machine showing parts of the elevator mechanism'of this inventionapplied thereto.

Figure 2 is a front elevational view of the structure shown in Fig. 1. t

Figure 3 is an enlarged horizontal sectional view taken substantiallyupon the plane of line III of Fig. 2.

Figure 1 is a similarly enlarged detail view of a portion of thestructure shown in Fig. 2, the hand wheel shaft appearing in Fig. 2being illustrated in transverse section substantially upon the plane ofline IV of Fig. 3.

Figure 5 is a transverse sectional view substantially upon the plane ofline V of Fig. 3.

Figure 6 is an enlarged side elevational view partly in sectionillustrating the means of adjustment between certain parts of thestructure shown in Figures 1 and 2,

Figure 7 is a horizontal sectional view taken upon the plane of line VIIof Fig. 6, and f continuously therewith.

Upon a parallel shaft 1' carried by the frame L is arranged a supportingbracket 5 providing a movable support 6 for a rock lever 7 which carriesat one end an antia friction roller 8 in a position to be operated bythe cam 3. The opposite end of the lever 7 is pivotally connected, as at9, to the lower end of a rod 10, the upper end of which rod 10 haspivotally connected therewith, by means of a pivot pin 11, a pawl 12arranged for engaging the teeth of a ratchet wheel 13 fixed upon a shaft14:. The shaft 142 is mounted in an elongated bearing member 15 andcarries loosely a crank 16 which inturn supports the pivot pin 11 andpawl 12 so as to maintain the pawl in proper operative association withthe teeth of the ratchet at all times.

A tension spring 17 is connected to the rock lever 7 so as to urge theroller 8 toward the surface of the cam 3 and atthe same time to, ofcourse, lift the rod 10 and the pawl 12.

The shape of the cam 3 is such that at each revolution. of, the cam arelatively depressed surface, as 18, of the cam is caused to passbeneath the roller 8. As the surface 18 passes the roller the pawl willmove upwardly for engaging the next succeeding tooth of the ratchet 13.If nothing prevents the pawl 12 will move the ratchet the space of onetooth with each revolution of the cam.

A suitable adjustable stop 19 is provided in the lever 7 arranged forengaging the hub 20 of the bracket 5 for positively limiting the upwardmovement of the pawl.

The shaft 14, to which the ratchet 13 is fixed, carries at its oppositeend a worm pinion 21 which meshes with a worm gear 22. The gear 22 ismounted loosely upon-n so thatirotation the shaft 14 will impart acertain "degree of rotation to the'shaft 23 so long as the pawls 24: arein engagement with theratchet 25. l

The shaft 23' is disposed in a horizontal position and is mounted torotate in bearings 26 provided upon a frame 27 fixed to anddepending'from the table 1. Intermediate the bearings 26 the shaft 23carries fixed thereto asmall gear28, the teeth of which engage the"teeth of a rack bar 29 whichis fixed to the elevator30.

The elevator 30 has opposite guide portions 31 received withinappropriate vertical guide slots 32 provided by the frame-27, and theengagement between'the rack bar 29 and the gear 28 is designed formoving the elevator upwardlyjin accordance with the roshaft 14. c

A foundation plate 33 is carried by the tation imparted'to the shaft 23from the zu'pper surface of the elevator 30 for receiving a pile ofenvelopeblanks thereon. This I foundation plate is preferably shaped inconformity with the envelope blanks, as

' Clearly seen inFig. 3 upon the drawings, and

is "deta chably connected with the main portion of the elevator, as by aretainlng screw 34:, so that foundation plates of different proportionsmaybe substituted at will.

'' The pawls 24ers pivotally mounted, at 35, upon therelatively outersurface of the worm gear 22 so that their free ends are a d'aptedto'swing'toward and away from the center line'of' theshaft 23 and thereforeintoand out of engagement with the teeth of the ratchet 25 which teethprojeet-radi ally upon said ratchet. Each of" the pawls carries afinger'36 which extend thru'openings 37in the gear 22 and extendsomewhat beyond the inner or rear surface 'of said gear. Tension springs33 engage the inner ends of the fingers for urging thepawls nor mally,into engagement with the teeth of the ratchet.

The gear 22 is provided with a sleeve 39 which extends along the shaft23so as to pro vide an amply elongated bearinglfor said gear and at thesame time to provide a suitable mountingfora collar 40 whicli'isslidably'mounted upon the exterior annular surface of the "sleeves Thiscollar is formed 7 with an annular groove ll within which engages thefingers 42 of a hand operable yoke 43 with'which to move the collar backand forth'along the sleeve 35h The forward end "ofthefcollaris'bevelled'ofi so as to provide a cone-shaped surface 44 disposed foren gaging the ends of the fingers 36 whenever the collar is moved towardsaidfingers.

The yoke 43 is pivotally mouni'i'edyas at 45,

upon the frame 27 and is fitted. with an appropriately extended handlepart -5I-.G by whichtomove the collar at will.

When the collar is inthe position, as

shown in Figure of the dra'wiiigsQthat is,

when it is free of engagement withthe fingers 36, the springs 38 arefree to exercise their function of holding the pawls in engagementwiththe teeth of the ratchet 25.

But when the handle i6 is swung to move into engagement with the shaftbearing member 26, and since this sleeve, as llluStIflt' ed, is somewhatlonger than'thelength of the collar 40', it serves as a simple and sit}cient spacer for definingthe space within which the collar inay move atall times.

The fact that the cone surface 44: isannu- 'iar enablesit to properlycooperate with the fingers 36 irrespective of the'rotaryposition of thefingers relatively to said surface. At the sametime the gear 22 withsaid fingers vwill be allowed to rotate freely with said lingers rubbingaround the cone surface. The collar -10 being-free to rotate upon thesleeve 39 maypermit unebstructed rotation of the gear 22 while saidcollar is in its forward ,POSltlOH even without the f ngers rubbing uponthe cone surface. In this waydouble precaution is provided against'thepossibil; ity of obstruction to the free rotation of the gear 22 at alltimes. I I I A hand wheel Gr is fixed to the outer end of the shaft 23so that saidshaft may be turned at will whenever itis desired to move jthe elevator irrespective" of the automatic driving mechanism abovedescribed. 'When. it is desired to rotate the shaft for lowering the:elevator it is, of course, necessaryfirst to move the handle 46' fordisconnecting the pawls 24 from the ratchet 25', but when it is vdesiredjto raise the elevator tliisomay be done without disconnectingthe pawls since rotation of the shaft in a directionfor lift ing theelevator will simply. cause the teeth of the ratchet 25toclick.backwardly be neath theends of the pawls. i

1th the mechanism as thus far described it will lie-apparent thatrotation of the cam 3 and the consequent step by step rotation of theshaft let, will cause the elevator 30 to be lifted one step at eachrotation of the cam while the pawls 2a are in cooperative relation withthe ratchet 2 5;

The upward movement of the elevator thus provided for is, however, toorapid for other parts of the machine, hence it is necessary to provide agovernor device designed for reducing the speed at which the elevator islifted. This governor device, as herein illustrated, preferably includesa mechanism of a character to allow the elevator to be moved upwardly inresponse to only a portion of the rotations of the cam 23. In order tocarry out this purpose a feeler member H is provided, the samecomprising a lever pivotally mounted intermediate its ends, as at 47, ina standard 48 carried by the table 1. This feeler member has an endsurface 49 disposed for resting upon the upper surface 50 of the pile ofenvelope blanks. The opposite-end of the feeler is pivotally connected.as at 51, to the upper end of a rod 52 which rod extends downwardly intopivotal-connection with the pivot pin 11 already described as carryingthe pawl 12.

By this arrangement it will be apparent that the extent of upwardmovement of the pawl 12 for engaging a successive tooth of the ratchet13 will depend upon the possible downward movement of the surface 49 ofthe feeler and that this downward movement of the surface 47 will begoverned by the level of the pile of envelope blanks. Thus, when theelevator with its pile of envelope blanks has-been moved up one step, ifthe succeedingupward movement of the rods 10 and 52 is arrested byengagement of the surface 4L9 with the pile 50 before the pawl 12manages to engage the succeeding tooth of the ratchet 13, then thecontinued rotation of the cam?) will draw the pawl 12 downwardly idly,that is, withoutimparting any rotation to the shaft 14. This idleoperation will be repeated until such time as the level of the pile ofenvelope blanks has been reduced suiiic-iently to perinit the pawl 12 torise to the point necessary for engaging the next tooth of the ratchet13. What may be termed an active operation then follows Idle and activeoperations then follow in accordance with the level of the blanks.

Any suitable means may be employed for adjusting the position of thesurface 49 rela tive to the pivot 11. The means illustrated, however,has been found to be simple, efficient and satisfactory and it includesa guide member 53 which is fixed rigidly at the upper end of the shaftand which carries a-separately formed part providing the pivotalconnection between the shaft 52 and the feeler H. The member 5a ismounted to slide vertically within a slot 55 formed within the member 53and is: provided with a pivot lug 56'over which the end 57 of the feelerH pivotally engages. Retaining means. as 58, is provided for retainingthe part 57 against disengagement from the lug 56.

The upper end of the slot 55 is closed by a cross member 59 which isapertured, as at 60, to receive an adjusting screw 61 therethru.Opposite collars: 62 are provided upon the screw for preventinglongitudinal movement of the screw within the aperture 60. The threadedportion of the screw is received within a threaded aperture 63 formedthru the member 54 so that rotation of the screw will serve to move themember 5a longitudinally along the length of the slot. The member 54: ispreferably split, as at 6st, and provided with tightening means 65 thruthe medium of which the member 54 may be held rigid with the screw inany position of vertical adjustment to which it has been moved.

Thru the utilization of this meansof adjustment the exact point to whichthe surface 4L9 must move in order to enable the pawl 'l2 to engage asucceeding tooth of the ratchet 13 may be readily determined and alteredin accordance with the requirements of the associated functionalfeatures of the machine i A further adjustment of parts is provided forin the manner in which the bracket 5 carrying the pivot 6 for the rocklever 7 is supported. This bracket, as illustrated, is mounted upon theshaft 4. Whenever found necessary this bracket may be rotated to agreater or less extenteabout the shaft 4 for altering the preciseposition of the pivot 6. A suitable set screw orthe like,'as 66, isprovided for retaining the bracket fixed in any position to which it ismoved.

As many changes could be made in this construction without departingfrom the scope of the invention as defined in the followingclaims, it isintended that all matter contained in the above description or shown inthe accompanying drawings, shall be interpreted as illustrative only andnot in a limiting sense.

The gear wheel 22, being loose upon the shaft and being adapted to beconnected to and disconnected from the shaft at the will of theoperator, is hereinafter referred to as the drive wheel for the shaft.

It will, of course, be understood that the pile of envelope blanksresting upon the foundation plate 33 is being continually diminished byhaving blanks taken from the top thereof to be operated upon by otherelements of the machine not forming a part of the present invention and,therefore, not illustrated herein. After the pile has become exhaustedthe lever 46 is thrown to disconnect the drive wheel 22 from the shaft23 whereupon the shaft is rotated, by means of the hand Wheel G, todepress the elevator 30. A new pile of blanks is then placed upon thefoundation plate 38 and the whole moved upwardly until the level of thepile is in approximately correct position. The lever at) is thenreturned to connect the drive wheel 22 with the shaft 23, and thereafteri verably'split at one point in its length, asat 67, and provided'withadjustable tightening means so that the fitof the shaft it within thebearing member may be properly and correctly adjusted to provide adesired frictional grip upon the shaft so that said shaft .may beprevented from having any movement except such movement as is positivelyapplied thereto by the pawl 12; thatis, the frictional grip maybeadjusted so as to hold the shaft exactly'in the position to which itis moved by the pawl.

Having thus described my invention, what I-claim asnew and desire tosecure by Letters Patentis; a I

1. In elevator-control mechanism for envelope-making machines, anelevator adapt ed for supporting a pile' of envelope blanks, means formoving the-elevator upwardly so as to maintain the level of the blanks,including arotating shaft, connections be tweenthe elevator and theshaft for imparting a step by step movement to the elevator, a leverhaving a portion adapted to engage the upper surface of the pile ofenvelope blanks, a link extending between "said lever andsai'dconnections for rendering the connections inoperative in accordance.with the level ofthe pile, means adjustably connecting-said leverandsaid link whereby to determine the point at which said'lever becomeseffective upon said connections, said last means comprising" a memberfixed to said linkand having a slottherein'," a member pivotallyengaging said lever extending into said slot, and. a screw engagingbetween said two members for adjusting the second memberlongitudinallyofthe slot by rotation of the screw. r mm 2. In elevator control mechanismfor envelope-makingma chines, an elevator adapted for supporting. a pileof envelope blanks,

- means for: moving the elevator upwardly including a rotatablymountedshaft, a ratchet fixed to said shaft, a member rotatably about theshaft, a part carriedby said mentioned memberyieldingly-engaging saidratchet j whereby rotationof said member will rotate said shaft, meansto rotate said member, and means manually operably at Wlll to hold saidpart out of engagement;w1th said ratchet while not preventing rotationof.

said mentioned member, an dineans whereby rotation ofthe shaft will movethe elevator.

In elevator control mechanism for en velope-making machines, anelevatoradapted for supporting a 'pile cf envelope blanks, means for moving theelevator upwardly in cluding a rotatably mounted shaft, a'drive wheelfor the shaft mounted loosely upon the shafaa ratchet wheel fixed to theshaft,

a pawl carried by the drive wheel pivotally mounted thereon toyieldingly engaging the ratchet wheel, a member movable in a directionlongitudinally of the shaft for controlling the relation of said pawltosaid ratchet, and means to manually move the last member.

4. In elevator control mechanism for envelope-making n1achines,anelevator adapted for supporting apile of envelope blanks, means formoving the elevator upwardly including a rotatably mounted shaft, adrive wheel for the shaft mounted loosely upon the'shaft, pawl andratchet mechanism operative between the drivewheel and the shaft forrotating said shaft by said drivewheel, comprising a ratchet wheel whoseteeth project radially therefrom anda pawl pivotally mounted upon said"drive wheel having its teeth engaging partarranged toxs'wingi raditheshaft, having-a sleeve extending therefrom providing an elongatedbearing for the wheel'upon the shaft, apawl and ratchetmechanismoperative between the drive wheel and the shaft forr'otating said shaftby said wheel, a collar mountedupon said sleeve. to slide longitudinallythereof, means for sliding said collar, and means whereby theeffectiveness of said pawl and ratchet mechanism is dependent upon theposition of collar. P I i 1 6. In an elevator control mechanism forvelo'pe-making machines, an elevator adapted for supporting a, pile ofenvelope blanks, means for moving the elevator upwardly including a.rotatablymounted shaft, a drive wheel for the shaft mounted. looselyupon theshaft, a ratchet wheelfixed to theshaft,

a pawl carried by the drive wheel at one side thereof .yieldinglyengaging the ratchet wheel, a finger extending from-the pawl thru anopening in the drive wheel to theopposite side of said drivewheel,vandumanually operable means movable into and outof engigement with saidfinger for controlling the engagement of the pawl with the ratchet.

T. In elevator cfontrol mechanism fol-en envelope-making machines,-anelevator adaptmeans for moving the elevator upwardly including arotatably mounted shaft, a beared :for supporting a pile :of envelopeblanks,"

ing member for said shaft,a drive wheel for I the shaft mountedlooselyupon the shaft spaced from said bearing member, said drive wheel having,a sleeveextendmg therefrom into proximity with said bearing member andproviding an elongated bearing for the wheel upon .the shaft, a pawl andratchet mechanism operative between the drive wheel and the shaft forrotating said shaft by said wheel, anda collar mounted loosely upon saidsleeve being of less length tian said'sleeve and being slidablelongitudinally of the sleeve between the wheel and the bearing member,means to slide said collar, and means whereby the eifectiveness of saidpawl and ratchet mechanism is dependent upon the position of saidcollar.

8; In elevator control mechanism for envelopemaking machines, anelevator adapted for supporting a pile of envelope blanks, and means forimparting a step by step upward movement to the elevator including arotating shaft, a pawl and ratchet device, a cam carried by said shaft,a lever associated with the cam to be oscillated thereby, a linkextending from said pawl and ratchet device to said lever, and elevatorlifting mechanism connected to be operated by said pawl and ratchetdevice, together with a governor de vice for controlling theeffectiveness of the pawl and ratchet device in accordance with thelevel of the pile of envelope blanks, said governor device including amember adapted to engage the upper surface of the pile of envelopeblanks, and a second link extending from said member into directconnection with said pawl and ratchet device.

9. In elevator control mechanism for envelope-making machines, anelevator adapted for supporting a pile of envelope blanks, and means forimparting a step by step upward movement to the elevator including apawl and ratchet device, a member movable in one direction to cause thepawl to engage one tooth of, and to thereby rotate, the ratchet, saidmember being movable in the opposite direction to return the pawl forengaging a second tooth of the ratchet, means to move said member, agovernor device automatically controlled by the level of the pile ofenvelope blanks for determining the extent of movement of said member insaid opposite direction, and a further device manually adjustable atwill also to determine the .extent of movement of said member in saidopposite direction while not efi'ecting limit of movement of said memberin said first direction.

10. In elevator control mechanism for envelope-making machines, anelevator adapted for supporting a pile of envelope blanks, and means forimparting a step by step upward movement to the elevator including apawl and ratchet device, a shaft arranged to be rotated by said pawl andratchet device, a bearing'member for said shaft, said bearing memberbeing split, and means whereby to squeeze the parts of t-he'bcaringmember together for gripping the shaft so as to frietionally retard themovements of the shaft.

11. In elevator control mechanism for envelope-mal-iing machines, anelevator for supporting a pile of envelope blanks, means for .n'iovingthe elevator upwardly including a rotatably mounted shaft, a drive wheelfor the shaft, ,a ratchet wheel fixed to the shaft, a pawl carried bythe drive wheel at one side thereof adapted to engage the drive wheel, afinger extending from the pawl through an opening in the drive wheel tothe opposite side of said drive wheel, means engaging said finger atsaid opposite side ofthe drive wheel for yieldingly main-.

taining the pawl in engagement with the ratchet wheel, and means also atsaid opposite side of the drive wheel operative upon said finger forcontrolling the engagement of the pawl with the ratchet.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in the presence of twowitnesses.

ADDISON E. AUGUSTINE.

Witnesses:

L. Gnvronn HANoHn,

MAY SonULz.

